Students are unable to do homework due to poor Internet connections, or their families can’t afford Internet service altogether.

One group hopes to make wireless Internet connectivity available to everyone in the county.

“There are students who don’t have Internet at home and can’t afford it,” said Joe Campbell, of Revo Communications, a company working to provide Internet access to communities without service. “A lot of people in the upper end of the county can’t get a good Internet connection. We want to close that digital divide.”

Gragg said rural areas in Cleveland County weren’t receiving Internet access, and Campbell wanted to make a difference.

“This is not a new concept, we just want to prove that it works in the Shelby area,” Campbell said.

Starting in January, Revo began partnering with several uptown buisnesses. Now they plan to help the Boys & Girls Club of Cleveland County in providing computers and broadband Internet to families who can’t afford them.

Revo teamed with the American Legion World Series to provide high-speed Internet at Keeter Stadium, The Star reported in June. That will serve both fans as well as ESPN3.

There are also plans to give a boost to Uptown Shelby businesses and residential customers.

“We found the most cost-effective technology by using wireless and wire line,” Campbell said.

What's being done?

Homes that qualify are provided with Internet modems. The modems will connect to wireless Internet via antennas placed throughout the county.

So far, antennas have been placed on the top of Gragg & Gragg, the Shelby Police Department and the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office. Revo is looking for places to locate additional antennas.

“If we can get Internet to the upper end of the county, companies would maybe locate there and bring more jobs to the county,” Campbell said.

When will it all begin?

By August, the technology program will start serving children.

“We want to run children through a technology training program at the Boys & Girls Club,” Campbell said. “Students will qualify through guidelines similar to the free and reduced lunch program and will be provided with a laptop that has wireless capability.”

Revo is talking with Cleveland Community College to assist with the training. Laptops provided for children will be donated from the community.

“The class will probably be a week-long class, but we are going to evaluate as we go,” Campbell said. “We are still determining what we need to target in the classes.”

Page 2 of 3 - A community fund that the public can donate to, the Technology Fund of Cleveland County, was established July 2 to pay for the training classes and Internet installation.

The fund will officially launch at the upcoming 7th Inning Stretch Festival with a raffle. The festival kicks off the American Legion World Series festivities on Saturday, Aug. 10 in uptown Shelby.

After starting in Shelby, Revo Communications hopes to spread the concept to other rural areas of the state and country.

“We want to make this happen, give what Americans want,” Campbell said. “We want to start in Shelby and make it spread."

What they're saying

Here's what county leaders said about the Internet connectivity project:

" There is no doubt that access to fast Internet connections is necessary for continued growth and development in any community. To the business world it is becoming a critical component of a business’s ability to succeed. Providing high-speed Internet access to the rural areas of Cleveland County will prompt residential growth as well as business growth in those areas. I applaud Revo Communications' efforts to supply high-speed Internet service to the underserved areas of Cleveland County."

-Michael Chrisawn , president of the Cleveland County Chamber

“Our schools have good Internet opportunities for students and it’s a challenge for the students who don’t have Internet at home. There is a number of students who can’t do work at home because they don’t have the Internet. The Revo program will open up access to a lot of other things as well. Somewhere down the road, the state is having school districts move toward electronic textbooks, and children who don’t have Internet access at home will have a difficult time."

-Bruce Boyles , Cleveland County Schools superintendent

“Most of our children come from single-parent homes and can’t afford a computer. Some classes require students to print their work off the computer. Students without Internet access can’t do their work. We want the children to be successful.”

-Jack Weller , president of the Cleveland County Boys and Girls Club

How connected are we?

According to the U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Department of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration:

* 20.4 percent of North Carolina households in 2011 didn’t have an Internet connection or a computer in their household

* The South has the lowest percentage of Internet use by region at 67.1 percent.

Percent of total U.S. households in 2011 using Internet, based on household income

May 2013: Revo signs a five-year agreement with the American Legion World Series to provide high-speed Internet to Keeter Stadium.

June 2013: Revo partners with the Boys & Girls Club of Cleveland County to establish the Revolution Technology Fund of Cleveland County to provide computers and Internet access to under-served families.

How can you help?

Revo is sponsoring the 7th Inning Stretch Festival on Saturday, Aug.10 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Uptown Shelby. Donations, both monetary and in the way of used computers, can be made and raffle tickets will be sold to raise money.

Donations can also be made at: http://revocommunications.com

Coming soon

Check back with The Star for more information in the coming weeks for more on the program as it develops.